


Haemoglobin

by taztaas (ainonoai)



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Killing elves for spell components, Kravitz's backstory, M/M, Making a deal with a goddess, Memories, Past Lives, Past Lovers, Rebirth, Tragic death of a lover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 16:49:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12752286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ainonoai/pseuds/taztaas
Summary: Kravitz returned from his supply run to the nearest town to find his lover dead in their home.





	Haemoglobin

Kravitz returned from his supply run to the nearest town to find his lover dead in their home. The door had been slammed open with force, shattering the wood. Stepping over the threshold Kravitz saw bloody footprints leading to the door, out of the house. He stormed inside, desperately calling for his partner but receiving no answer, dreading what he would find. And what he found destroyed him.

He saw his beloved, lying in a pool of blood. Eyes empty, body cold. Slaughtered, slashed open like an animal and left to die like one. There were signs of a struggle, he had fought back but Kravitz saw the black color tainting his lover’s veins. They had used poison on him, to block his magic, and he wasn’t one for melee. He fell to his knees next to the body, anguished. Never again would he share an embrace with his lover, never again would he hear that tinkling laugh that made him fall in love more every time. He would never again look into his partner’s eyes and see them full of love, see his smile, full of mischief but earnest.

He was dead. Pale skin even whiter with a deathly pallor. The spark in his golden eyes gone forever. Blond hair fanned around his head, matted with blood. Long, nimble fingers crushed and arms bruising. And his ears, his beautiful elven ears that twitched happily every time they kissed, oh gods...Kravitz felt bile rise up his throat and he had to turn away and cover his mouth to fight it back. He tried to breathe but the smell of blood just made him sicker.

Kravitz was a half-elf, it was easy enough for him to hide his heritage, to blend in with the humans. That was not the case for his partner, as he was obviously, glaringly, un-human. Even without his ears, he would’ve caught everyone’s eye, tall and lithe with flaxen hair and seemingly glowing, ethereal beauty. He was waiflike like he was only visiting to give the poor souls of this earth something beautiful to remember in their dying moments. He was larger than life, full of color, light, and laughter - and Kravitz was small, empty and cold, basking in his lover’s grace, devoted and feeling so thoroughly loved.

But now he was gone. Brutally killed and… _harvested_ for spell components. Kravitz clenched his fists, digging the nails into his palms and pricking the skin. Through his tears and sorrow, anger rose, it boiled his blood. He would have revenge. He wouldn’t drink, he wouldn’t eat, he wouldn’t sleep until he had tracked those _murderers_ down and destroyed them all. For justice. He pressed a kiss to his lover’s forehead and as he left, he set the house ablaze. He would not return.

Kravitz found them, after a half day’s travel, camped near the river where he sometimes went to gather herbs and other ingredients for his partner’s spells. His burning anger had simmered down - now it was cold, simmering, intense and all-consuming. He walked right up to the camp, uncaring, calling upon his powers. He was well versed in the ancient art of blood magick, though he had not had a chance, or moreso a need to practice it after meeting the elf, his beloved. He would spare these murderers no mercy. One of the humans was awake, keeping watch. Kravitz outstretched his hand, palm open towards the man.

“Who the fuck-” Kravitz closed his fist, the man screamed in agony as the blood in his body boiled, killing him slowly, painfully. Kravitz laughed, hysterical, feeling the strain of his magic on his own body. Blood magic was powered by the user’s life force and he was going to spare none of it. He would kill these people, and then die himself. Because of his skill, because of his forbidden magic, he was condemned to damnation, his soul would never pass over to the ethereal plane and he would never see his lover again. He had nothing to live for, just disappearing was preferable to a lifetime of suffering alone.  As the other campers scrambled awake, Kravitz attacked them cruelly, making them bleed, making them suffer and beg. He didn’t give them a chance to defend themselves, they didn’t deserve it. Blood trickled from his eyes, from his nose and he grinned with bloodied teeth when he was finished. The forest floor was painted crimson.

Kravitz felt his life bleeding out of him and he fell to the ground, unable to keep standing. As he was fading he heard a voice calling out to him, celestial and otherworldly. It echoed with the sound of fluttering wings and the feeling of soft darkness.

_I will make a deal with you._

Hardly conscious, Kravitz understood he was hearing the voice of a goddess, and so he listened.

_I will give you a purpose, I will give you peace. In return you pledge yourself to me, you will become my emissary. You will live forever and you will never feel hurt again._

“What of my beloved?”

_He will be reborn, on another plane of existence._

“Will I ever see him again?”

_That I do not know, Kravitz. It is a matter of fate. Will you take this oath?_

“Yes.”

He died and his soul left his body.

Kravitz woke up with a violent start.

"Hachi machi!" Taako shrieked beside him, almost dropping the mug he was holding. The book he was levitating fell to the edge of the bed and slid to the floor with a thud. Some tea sloshed onto the sheets, but it was nothing a quick prestidigitation spell wouldn't fix. Kravitz blinked at the ceiling, slowly coming back to himself. He realized he was in Taako's room at the moonbase, laying next to the elf on his bed. Taako peered down at him, furrowing his brows in veiled worry. He touched the reaper's shoulder lightly with his free hand. At the touch Kravitz looked at Taako, meeting the elf’s golden eyes that were glowing slightly in the darkness of the room.

"Are you-" Taako started, but quieted, biting his lip, quickly glancing away before catching Kravitz’s eyes again. “...Did you have a nightmare?”

“Mmm… I think it was something the Raven Queen wanted to show me.” He answered quietly. Taako’s worried face turned into irritation and he clutched his mug with his both hands. “What the fuck? The hell she’s sending nightmares at you for? I’m gonna have words…” Taako trailed off, mumbling, looking at the wall in front of him.

Kravitz sat up and brought his hand up to his chest, where his heart would be and felt nothing. He was cold and empty. He looked at Taako, who took a final sip from his mug before levitating it to the nightstand.

“I think it was a memory, maybe,” Kravitz said quietly, thoughtful, the details of the dream already escaping him. Taako looked at him questioningly but Kravitz just stared back with an unsure smile on his face. He reached his hand up, weaving it through Taako’s blond hair to settle against the back of his neck. Taako relaxed at the touch and Kravitz pulled him down for a kiss. He felt Taako’s ear twitch against his arm and he grinned into the kiss, making Taako whine indignantly.

“Why are you laughing at me?” He muttered against the reaper’s lips.

“I’m not laughing at you Taako, I love you.”

“Hmm…”

Taako moved, scooting down to lay down next to Kravitz on the bed, facing him. Taako smiled at Kravitz, radiant, making Kravitz’s breath catch in his throat. Taako noticed and laughed in that tinkling way of his. Kravitz suddenly recalled a moment, in another life, long ago, where he fell in love with that laugh but the moment was gone before he could dwell on it.

Wordlessly Kravitz moved closer to Taako, wrapped his arms around his middle and pressed his ear against the elf’s chest. Taako returned the embrace, holding Kravitz’s shoulders and brushing his fingers through the other’s hair. Kravitz closed his eyes and listened to the beat of his beloved's heart and the pulse of blood in his veins. Alive.

**Author's Note:**

> Elf ears are good spell components >:3c
> 
> I'm on tumblr @taztaas


End file.
